DirtBowl Fundraiser Scheduled for SuperBowl

You didn't really want to watch Indianapolis win the Superbowl anyway:

Six-time Leadville 100 winner, and former US Mountain Bike team member, Dave Wiens, will lead a new annual cycling event for the Bay Area, The Dirt Bowl, to be held on Super Bowl Sunday, February 7th, 2010.

The Dirt Bowl is produced by Marin County Bicycle Coalition in partnership with the The NorCal High School Mountain Bike League. It is a benefit ride to ensure that kids have safe roads and great trails. Proceeds from the Dirt Bowl will support the ongoing advocacy work being conducted by both organizations.

The ride is sponsored by Specialized Bicycle Components and Mike's Bikes and is for both recreational and competitive cyclists. Road cyclists are also invited to participate in the Dirt Bowl and will be supported by the Marin Cyclists. The start is at the San Geronimo Golf Course west of Fairfax, California.

Participants are required to raise a minimum of $125 to join this fundraising event. There is no upper limit on fundraising. Fundraisers will receive:

• Saddle time with mountain bike legend and all-around great guy, Dave Wiens
• A commemorative event T-shirt
• Pre-ride hot drinks and snacks, and a BBQ lunch with sausages, turkey burgers, garden burgers, pasta, green salad, potato salad, and beverages
• Entry into a raffle with great prizes
• Special prizes for the riders who raises the most money

For more information, and to enter the fundraising ride, visit www.dirtbowl.net

NorCal High School League Looking for New Exec

The NorCal League is looking for a new Executive Director:

The Northern California High School Cycling League is looking for a new executive director to replace the founder and outgoing executive director, Matt Fritzinger, who is moving on to build the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA).

Having founded and built the NorCal League, Fritzinger is now finding all his time taken up by work at the national level. "I've been trying to manage the two, but we knew this wouldn't work, and it isn't working. The interest for building League's is ramping up faster than expected. Just in the last few days we've been having conversations with folks in Oregon, Wisconsin and Georgia and they don't want to wait."

The executive director's job has a broad scope that includes fund and sponsor development, risk management leadership, program planning and implementation, human resources management, operations planning and management, financial management, community relations and advocacy, and also board relations.

Candidates with experience in non-profit leadership, success in fundraising, and a passion for mountain biking are being sought. A job description can be downloaded from the homepage at www.norcalmtb.org and applications with a cover letter and resume should go to info@norcalmtb.org. No phone calls please.

Via NorCal HS League

CycleFest to Support NorCal HS MTB

NorCal HS MTB will hold their annual fundraiser next month:

The Bay Area’s cycling social event of the season, the NorCal League’s CycleFest 2009 will feature the CEO of Slipstream Sports, Jonathan Vaughters, as its special guest at its main annual fundraiser, a three-day gathering, November 6-8 in Mill Valley.

Also on show at the CycleFest dinner will be a vintage poster show displaying European poster art with a cycling theme. Elizabeth Norris of Vintage European Posters (www.vepca.com) will be displaying a portion of her collection of original posters from as early as 1890.

The CycleFest 2009 schedule is as follows:
Friday, November 6th: Cocktail reception with Jonathan Vaughters in Mill Valley
Saturday, November 7th: Benefit dinner, silent auction and vintage poster show, hosted by Jonathan Vaughters at the Mill Valley Community Center
Sunday, November 8th: Scenic road ride in Marin countryside with Jonathan Vaughters.

Proceeds from the ticket sales and silent auction go to supporting the Northern California High School Mountain Bike League, so be sure to purchase one for your friend/spouse/partner too! Regular tickets are $150.00, and Patron tickets, which include an intimate cocktail hour with Vaughters, are $195.00. All tickets are available online at http://norcalmtb.org/.

NorCal HS Program Going Nationwide

Cool news from the people behind the NorCal High School league:

The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) is launching October 1 as a new organization to promote and facilitate interscholastic high school mountain biking in the USA.

With Specialized Bicycle Components stepping in as the National Founding Sponsor, and the Easton Sports Development Foundation II stepping up its backing of the SoCal League to include a sponsorship match program at the national level, the fast emerging national association shows it has earned the trust and support of major industry players.

While the search for sponsorship continues in the quest to fully meet operating costs, a Trailblazer’s Team of individual benefactors has been established to provide additional support in getting – and keeping – the association off the ground. Early members of this important group include Charles Moore of McGuire Real Estate and Scott Tedro of Sho-Air International.

NICA has grown out of the highly successful NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League, which is now entering its tenth year. The launch of NICA follows the successful first year of the NorCal League spin-off, the SoCal Interscholastic Cycling League.

The new association is led by NorCal League founder, Matt Fritzinger, and will commence its work with four state or regional chapters. The initial states and regions are Northern California, Southern California, Colorado, and Washington.

Click over to the new website for full details.

2009 NorCal CycleFest Coming in November

The NorCal High School MTB League is hosting their annual fundraiser:

The Bay Area’s cycling social event of the season, the NorCal League’s CycleFest 2009 will feature the CEO of Slipstream Sports, Jonathan Vaughters, as its special guest at its main annual fundraiser, a three-day gathering, November 6-8 in Mill Valley.

Vaughters, formerly a Europe-based pro rider, has a reputation for fostering talented young riders and helping them through the difficult years when they progress from the junior level to ground zero in the senior ranks. The philosophy of his team has always been to do things differently while maintaining a strong ethical position, to which end he pioneered a transparent, drug-free cycling team early in the new millennium.

Proceeds from the ticket sales and silent auction go to supporting the Northern California High School Mountain Bike League, so be sure to purchase one for your friend/spouse/partner too! Regular tickets are $150.00, and Patron tickets, which include an intimate cocktail hour with Vaughters, are $195.00. Tickets purchased before September 16th will receive a discounted price of $125/$170. All tickets are available online at http://norcalmtb.org/spon/dinner_2009/index.htm.

For more information on the League, visit http://www.norcalmtb.org.

NorCal HS MTB Crowns 2009 State Champions

The NorCal HS MTB League wrapped up their season last weekend with a full fledged state championship (NorCal and SoCal this year) up a Boggs:

The first full state championships for high school mountain bikers took place on Sunday, May 17, at Boggs Mountain, Cobb, California, when 374 students from as far south as San Diego and as far north as Redding converged for the California High School Mountain Bike Championships, presented by Touchstone Climbing and Fitness. With 39 teams, including six composite teams, students from more than 50 schools participated.

New faces from the upstart SoCal League made their mark, getting all the way to the top of the results in some categories and showing that although the NorCal riders benefit from the depth and intensity of the competition they have created for themselves, the talent pool covers the entire state.

The six-mile woodland loop through Boggs Demonstration Forest provided a broad ranging test of talent, suited best to the all-round rider with good bike handling skills. The most difficult section was a short, very steep, singletrack climb, called The Wall. Some said the course seemed less technical than last year, but all agreed the swoops, jinks and turns of the singletrack made it a lot of fun. The trails were dry, the dust was up, and it was hot—somewhere in the 90s—for much of the day. The racing conditions were far from easy.

Varsity Boys: John Bennett (El Cerrito) ended up with the series win and the state championship, but on Sunday he was pushed all the way by second-placed Nate Byrom (Nevada Union) who was still hungry for a win in the ’09 series. “This is my third year in Varsity. I got a win last year, I was hoping for one today, and finished 15 seconds behind John Bennett. It’s the closest I’ve been all season,” he said. On reflection he added, “I’m very stoked!”

Varsity Girls: The standout freshman, Shayna Powless (Independent), continued her domination of the Varsity category, adding the state championship to her series title. There was nothing to do but applaud the athletic brilliance of this extraordinary talent, some of whose lap times rivaled those of the male winners. Modest as usual, she said after the race “I’ve trained a lot on courses like this, so I felt well prepared. My main hope coming into the race was that I wouldn’t crash. I almost did a couple of times. I was hoping for a top three result, but I’m surprised and happy to win it.”

Junior Varsity Boys Division I: Freshman Bryan Duke (Salinas), racing in only his first NorCal season, made it five wins for five races, finishing with a perfect score as well as the state and series titles. Even more remarkable, his first two lap times were close to or better than John Bennet’s.

Junior Varsity Boys Division II:Three riders exchanged the lead in the battle for line honors, and eventually Andrew Taylor (Contra Costa Composite) re-asserted the authority he had imposed on this division throughout most of the series with three wins, including this one. He claimed the state championship as well as the NorCal series.

Junior Varsity Girls: In one of the biggest surprises of the championships, the steadily improving Courtney Crosta (Woodcreek), managed to hold off series champion Ruth Winder (Independent). Victoria Yoham (Marin Catholic) finished third.

Sophomore Boys Division I: Having recovered from the sprained ankle that slowed him at round four, Drake Pirates rider Roman Brockley powered to a convincing win in the championship and series. Mason Bond and Jeremiah Newman, both of Nevada Union finished second and third respectively, mirroring their results in the series.

Sophomore Boys Division II: SoCal riders Peter Morris and Brady Kiss shone in Soph Division II, taking first and second places in considerable style. Ryan Erler (Marin Catholic) finished third.

Sophomore Girls: Drake rider Sofia Hamilton continued the run of top form she started at round four, and fulfilled the wish she stated there by winning another race – this time the state championship. Morganne Endicott (San Ramon) finished second and won the series title. Lana Nilsen (Salinas) was third.

Freshman Boys Division I: A haircut for Isaiah Rapko (Berkeley High) underlined the importance of this race to the frosh I series leader. “The NorCal races are always important. They’re pretty big in terms of mountain biking, and they’re nationally-known now. So it’s very important for me to win,” he said. Apart form cutting his hair to reduce the effects of the heat, Rapko cooled his body temperature by applying an ice pack to his neck before the race. His season-long rival, Kyle Luther (Folsom), once again was on his heels, pushing Rapko as usual to overdo it or make an error.

Freshman Boys Division II: If Herculaas Botha (San Marin) was offered the win at only one race in the series, surely this would have been it. “It’s a nice change from getting second at every other race,” he quipped at the finish after sealing his series win with victory at the state championship. His super-sized rival, Jordan Vanderstoep (GBK Santa Cruz) once again made it tough for the compact Botha. Adam O’Camb (Miramonte) was third.

Freshman Girls: Series winner Sofia Gomez Villafane (Los Gatos) wasn’t sure if she’d make it through the championship race. “I’ve only had three days of training in the past three weeks, and I was feeling sick. I just kept going, but it was like hell out there. I didn’t feel good until the last mile. I was scared I wouldn’t finish,” she said. Asked about her championship win, she said, “It feels amazing. My coach told me I am the first ever freshman state champion!” Second-placed Rainee Chandler (Salinas) had a very different experience. “It was really fun,” she said. “In the beginning I could see Sofia between the trees, but then I stopped looking and focused on what I was trying to do. was climbing really well and passed me a few times. I pushed to get to the top of the final descent ahead of her then was able to stay clear. That was the best part of my race,” she said. Mackinzie Stanley (Drake) took third place. The top SoCal rider was Leila Carrillo (Newport Beach), who finished a worthy 11th in the field of 17.

Full results and photos are available online.

NorCal MTB HS Welcomes Shimano as Sponsor

From the ever efficient NorCal MTB High School League PR machine:

With the racing season only days away, Shimano has come forward to back the programs of the Northern California High School MTB Racing League and the Southern California Interscholastic Cycling League, in a new sponsorship deal that will see Shimano have a presence at the League events and in League literature.

The Shimano sponsorship comprises both cash and product contributions to support the League’s continued innovation in the realm of race production. The League’s sophisticated race results and team scoring program (Developed by volunteer Francis Chapman), which includes features such as on the fly Wi-Fi broadcast and automatic team scoring, will be named “Results cranked out by Shimano” to honor their support. In addition, product support will allow the League’s volunteer mechanic, Lincoln Linsmith, to provide neutral support at the (NorCal) races.

2009 NorCal HS MTB Schedule

Here is the official NorCal High School MTB calendar for 2009:

The 2009 series opener is held on a fun course featuring lots of single track over rolling hills in mountain biking’s classic Fort Ord venue. Riders will complete multiple laps of a circuit that is approximately 6.0 miles per lap.

The complete schedule for the 2009 Northern California High School Mountain Bike Racing League Series is as follows:

March 1: Central Coast Invitational 1, East Garrison, Fort Ord, Monterey
March 15: Granite Bay Invitational, Folsom Lake, Folsom
April 5: Mountain Goat Challenge, Pilarcitos Canyon, Fort Ord, Monterey
April 26: To be announced shortly
May 17: State Championship, Bogg’s Mountain, Cobb

Athletes may register for the 2009 Racing Series at http://norcalmtb.org/race/index.htm, where they can also view course maps, get directions and check out highlights from years past.

You can always find more information on high school MTB racing at their website http://norcalmtb.org/.

NorCal HS MTB Fund Raiser

While they are showing a "roadie" movie, it's the most MTB of roadie movies:

The Northern California High School Mountain Bike Racing League announces special screenings of the film The Road to Roubaix, timed and located to coincide with select stages of the Amgen Tour of California.

The Road to Roubaix brings to American screens a celebration of one of cycling’s most historically significant and charged one-day races, Paris – Roubaix, which has long gone by the deserved nickname “Hell of the North.”

Tickets are $12 and proceeds from these special screenings go to benefit the Northern California High School Mountain Bike Racing League.

February 12, Larkspur - Lark Theater - 8:00 p.m.
Feruary 13, Berkeley - Florence Schwimley Theater - 7:30 p.m.
February 15, Palo Alto – Campbell Center for the Performing Arts - 7:30 p.m.
February 15, Santa Cruz* – Rio Theater - 7:30 p.m.
February 20, Folsom - Jill Solberg Theate - 7:30 p.m.
February 21, Pasadena - Vosloh Forum Hall - 7:00 p.m.

For more info and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.norcalmtb.org/events/roubaix/index.htm

Intern at NorCal HS League

The NorCal HS League never ceased to amaze me -- I think we should turn over organising the US Cycling races. Help HS MTB racing and get paid:

The NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League is now accepting applications for the Winter/Spring Program Internship position. The Program Intern will be responsible for helping with program coordination, distribution of materials, event planning, office needs and general office and field projects.

Kyle Wright, who filled the position in 2008 commented: “I loved working for the League. As the Intern I did just about every job there was to do, newsletters, lots of errands, helping plan events, course design and building, and League promotions. The best part of working for the League was that it never felt like a job.

“Ideally this opportunity would have been announced months ago,” stated League Assistant Director Justin Morgan, “but thanks to a generous 11th hour funding source we can now seek a new staffer to help launch the 2009 season. We are excited about this opportunity optimistic that the right person for this job will emerge.”

Full details are available at their website: http://norcalmtb.org/about/temp/Internship_Job_Description.pdf

Woodcreek HS To Open MTB Season

For those of you in the Roseville, CA school district, they're getting started early this year for the NorCal HS league:

The Woodcreek High School Mountain Bike Club will officially begin preparation for the 2009 high school mountain bike racing season on December 27th with a four day training camp in Granite Bay, California. The camp will consist of four days of training rides, skills clinics, team meeting and evening social get-togethers. This is the second year that the team will hold a pre-season training camp over the Christmas holiday. Last year’s event was very successful in spite of record cold temperatures in the area.

This year the team camp will feature a visit from guest pro bike racer Mike Sayers, from BMC Cycling. Sayers, a recently retired pro, will be sharing his expertise and passion for cycling with the team. “I asked Mike if he would be willing to ride with us, and I was thrilled that he had space in his schedule and he accepted our invitation”, said Jim Winne, the Director of the Woodcreek team. “I have always admired Mikes approach to the sport, and to life, and I’m glad that the kids will get a chance to rub elbows with him.

This four-day camp based at various sites around Folsom Lake, will be the first step in preparing the team for the 2009 racing season with the NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League. This popular and highly competitive cross-country racing series is comprised of over 30 high school teams from Northern and Central California. Woodcreek High School will be starting their third season in the league. Last year Woodcreek finished the season ranked in the top five in Division 1 competition.

You can check out their website at http://www.weracemountainbikes.com/.

Preliminary 2009 NorCal HS Schedule

A 2009 preliminary schedule has been released for the NorCal High School league series. It looks like there might be a few new venues this year:

2009 NorCal High School MTB Schedule
March 1, Ft. Ord in Monterey (same course)
March 14, Folsom Lake in Roseville (same course)
April 5, Marin County (new venue!!!) or Toro Park (same course)
April 26, Nevada City (new venue!!!) or Angels Camp (same course)
May 17, Boggs Demonstration Forest (same course)

Via El Cerrito High School Mountain Bike Team

NorCal HS CycleFest and Auction

I been very tardy in posting about this worthy event for the NorCal MTB High School League:

The USA’s current number one stage racer, Levi Leipheimer, will take center stage among numerous celebrity guests at the NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League’s 2008 annual CycleFest weekend, for three exclusive events; a Friday night cocktail party, a Saturday gala dinner with silent and live auction, and a Sunday morning bike ride through Marin County.

Cocktail Party: Friday, November 7, 6 pm – Leipheimer will recall stories from his most memorable races, talk about the highs and lows of the 2008 season, and speculate on having Lance Armstrong back in the peloton for 2009, during a cocktail and buffet party hosted by Charles and Lotte Moore at their home in Mill Valley. Tickets are available for a suggested donation of $50 or $100 at http://www.mcguire.com/party/levi_party.html.

Gala Dinner and Silent Auction, November 8, 6 pm – Leipheimer will guest host the weekend’s main event, a gala dinner featuring the nation’s brightest cycling stars as well as the finest bicycle exhibits on display from 12 of Northern California’s most prominent custom frame builders. Regular tickets are $150.00, and Patron tickets, which include a cocktail hour with Levi, are $200.00. All tickets are available online at http://norcalmtb.org/spon/dinner_2008/buy.htm. In addition, a live and silent auction featuring a wide range of items from sought-after brands, ends at 10:00 p.m. Those unable to attend may view and bid on auction items at http://norcalmtb.cmarket.com.

Group Ride: Sunday November 9, 9 am – Leipheimer will lead a group ride beginning and ending at the Woodlands Market in Kentfield, Marin County. The ride will go to Nicasio Reservoir, stop at Point Reyes Station for refreshments (included), and continue along Highway 1 and Sir Francis Drake Blvd back to Kentfield. The route will cover about 50 miles. Tickets are $75-125 and can be purchased online at http://norcalmtb.org/spon/dinner_2008/buy_ride.htm.

I have my eyes on the singlespeed.

NorCal HS Goes Nationwide

The NorCal High School MTB Racing League is moving nationwide...

Specialized Bicycle Components has backed the expansion program of the Northern California High School Mountain Bike Racing League, which has recently created a Southern California league and is now drawing up plans for state-oriented high school cycling leagues across the USA.

Mike Sinyard, the founder and owner of Specialized, said, "Getting kids on bikes is a personal passion of mine and a goal of the Specialized Fund. High school mountain bike racing is a fun way for kids to accrue health benefits, learn self-discipline, and foster camaraderie. We are honored to be able to support Matt (Fritzinger), his staff, the coaches, and the riders of the League. We look forward to working together in the coming years to get mountain bike racing into high schools across the nation."

Specialized becomes a Founding National Sponsor of the NorCal League, a category designed to acknowledge companies that have made a very substantial contribution to help realize the vision of a nationwide network of state leagues.

Matt Fritzinger, director of the NorCal League, said, “After eight years of building the NorCal League, we are entering a new phase of development. We are excited that our new SoCal League is taking off with a strong group of directors and sponsors. The next logical step is to develop high school bicycle racing beyond California. We are tremendously excited to partner with Specialized, which is a local company for us, in this development plan. Their commitments to innovation and advocacy are echoed in our philosophy, and we really stand behind their amazing line of bicycles and accessories.”

This comes on the heels of their successful SoCal expansion. More information at their website.

NorCal HS MTB Goes to Deer Valley

Cool news from the folks at the NorCal High School MTB league.

Seven of the top riders from the NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League, who were selected from a special invitational camp, traveled to Park City, Utah, to compete in the Deer Valley stop of National Mountain Bike Racing Series. The team was hosted by the Subaru-Gary Fisher professional mountain bike team, giving the young riders the first hand experience of preparing to race alongside top American pro’s, such as Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, and Heather Irmiger, and Sam Schultz.

Early Saturday was the expert cross-country race and in the boy’s race were two sophomores, Bjorn Fox (Redwood) and Ben Sukys (Contra Costa), and Junior Will Curtis (San Rafael). The thin air and a 300-foot climb made for an intense battle to be first on the single-track. All three riders reached the single-track in good position and Bjorn decided to attack early but over-powered the tight single-track and ended up crashing out of the race with some bruises and trail rash. Will and Ben kept up the pressure and Will edged out last year’s winner by a bike length. Ben rolled in minutes later for 3rd place. “That was such a close race – I’ve never had a finish be that close and it made for a very exciting race for me” commented Will. Christine Weir (Nevada Union) overcame pre-race worries to take a 2nd place. “I wasn’t sure I was ready for the expert class and was nervous racing against Dierdra.” Chirstine ended up beating Dierda York, who recently raced at the world championships in Italy.

The remaining NorCal representatives competed in Sunday mornings sport-class race. 11th grader, Nick Newcomb (Drake) settled into what looked like third place and overtook one rider in the final lap when they began to fade. At the end of the race he learned he’d been chasing a rider in an older category. When he learned of his win he lifted his bike over his head and exclaimed “beast mode!” His teammate, Alec Kassin (Drake, 11th grade) sprinted to the line for a strong third place finish. Lauren McQuinn (San Marin, 11th grade) raced uncontested for 1st place – also beating many of the older riders in that start-wave.

This first-ever travel team raised a lot of eyebrows around the Deer Valley race venue as interest seems to grow for the concept of scholastic mountain biking in other states. “The team concept fits our mission for growing the sport in schools, as well as gives some of our top riders an opportunity to reach higher levels; the victories were an added bonus. We plan to return next year – the Deer Valley race is an exceptional event, the trails, the accommodations, and the scenic town made for luxury racing. I predict many more NorCal riders attending next year,” stated Fritzinger.

NorCal HS Rider Qualifies for Worlds

Good news from the NorCal HS League:

"2008 Varsity Champion John Bennett (El Cerrito High School), with his victory at Santa Ynez on May 17, has qualified for a spot on the the U.S. National Team. The team will travel to Val di Sol, Italy for the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships on June 16-22, 2008 (more info).

This remarkable accomplishment is a first in League history and also a tremendous honor for the El Cerrito High School racing team. John's spot on the U.S. National team is partially funded, so John needs your support to raise the other half of the expenses. Help us raise $1500 and send John to the World Championships!" Via NorCal HS League

You can donate to the cause at http://www.norcalmtb.org/events/worlds.htm.

2008 NorCal HS MTB Series #5 Results

I haven't covered the NorCal High School MTB Series in the past (mainly because I didn't really know what it was), but since they started sending me regular updates it just seemed neighborly to pass them along:

Racers from the NorCal High School Mountain Bike League were greeted with a cold and foggy wind this past Sunday in Toro Park, Salinas. However, with 800 feet of climbing per lap riders warmed up quickly as the race got underway. The large climb was followed by a roller-coaster single track with off-camber turns and challenging drops, but ultimately it was a race that favored climbers.

The sixth and final race of the League’s series is just around the corner. The State Championship race will be held on May 18th at Bogg’s Mountain (near Calistoga). Anticipation will be hovering all around that day as results pour in through the finish line, as this race could be the make or break for many riders in their overall series standings.

Full results are available at www.norcalmtb.org. Photo highlights available at http://www.norcalmtb.org/img/2008_race_5/.